Jim Carrey wants to be somebody

Continuing a complete overhaul of his goofball persona, "Bruce Almighty" finds Jim Carrey getting comfortable in his restrained starring roles in family comedies. Like in his previous film, "The Majestic," Carrey not only seems desperate to become lovable, but to become a pillar of moral integrity much like his "Bruce Almighty" co-star Morgan Freeman, or more obviously, Jimmy Stewart. Those actor's roles aren't forced, and Carrey's attempts not only feel disgustingly fraught, but wholly condescending.\n"Bruce Almighty" is the tale of a fellow, Bruce (Carrey), who has it all: a fancy urban apartment (in the incredibly quaint looking town of Buffalo), Jennifer Aniston as a girlfriend, a sleek sportscar and a job as a network news correspondent. Unfortunately, the misguided guy thinks he has nothing to show for himself. Following an on-air breakdown, the standard firing, a beat down after helping a hobo and a fight with his woman, Bruce takes to the streets to shout at God, "the gloves are off!"\nGod (Morgan Freeman) was listening, though, and in order to show Bruce the path to righteousness, He bestows on Bruce all His powers. What follows is the typical laugh riot as Bruce romps around Buffalo, righting the wrongs he perceives his life to hold and having a little fun on the way. But he is selfish, and God cannot only look out for Himself, He has the world to think about. Bruce's actions leave his personal life and the city of Buffalo on the brink of destruction. Not to worry though, everything gets fixed in the end in the seamless world of Hollywood film.\nIn many ways, "Bruce Almighty" is Carrey's most self-reflective film to date. Early on he whines to Aniston, "I have no credibility." To which she replies, "what's wrong with just making people laugh and making them happy?" Basically, the story is a heavy-handed answer to that question; of course that's a noble thing. \nIf the Capra-esque "The Majestic" or his spot-on impression weren't enough, "Bruce Almighty" intends to make everyone aware of Carrey's Jimmy Stewart connection. To Aniston, he fulfills the promise Stewart made to his wife in "It's A Wonderful Life" by lassoing the moon and pulling it down for her. Just to make sure nobody missed the reference, the original scene turns up on Aniston's television later. What Carrey is missing however, is Stewart's intelligence, acting chops, vulnerability and choice in directors. Tom Shadyac ("Liar Liar," "Patch Adams," "Nutty Professor") is no Alfred Hitchcock.\nThe trend in Carrey's career has been a steady calming curve. The curve has dipped so much now that he seems comatose, his comically rubber face now seeming plastic as he goes through the motions and gags that once seemed nearly inhuman. \nThe major problem of "Bruce Almighty" is the complete lack of compassion for the intelligence of the public. Issues and themes are reiterated throughout in order to encompass the lowest common denominator. Subtlety is a virtue in film, and individual interpretation is outlawed by this sort of movie. "Bruce Almighty" is destined to be a minor Carrey movie and taught by future generations of Communist film profs as an example of the evils of the Hollywood process.